US2246395A - Collar support - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1941. J. w. STEELE COLLAR SUPPORT Filed July 13, 1939 INVENTOR J W Stee/e ATTORN EY a June 17, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to collar supporting devices such as are used by laundries for the purpose of reinforcing the collar portions of garments in the garment laundering and finishing operations, and aims to provide a very simple and effective device of what is called the singlesupport type, for insertion between the folds of a shirt collar.

Accordingly I have devised a support which comprises substantially a single band of flexible material. which is designed to be inserted between the folds of the collar and of sufflcient extent to provide a support throughout the curved portions of the collar as well as the front portions thereof-with the result that all necessary portions of the collar are properly supported or reinforced, and also the support itself is held firmly in position by its being gripped by the side curved portions of the collar.

The invention further aims to provide a supporting device which may be readily and quickly inserted into supporting position, and of such contour as will enable it to operate automatically to bring the front portions of the collar into proper relation to each other as required by the finished condition of the garment. To this end the contour of the upper edge of the support comprises inclined portions sloping toward each other, whereby on insertion of the support into place within the collar said inclined portions operate to draw the front portions of the collar toward each other into the desired position.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing said modified form in operative or supporting position, and

Figure 7 is a plan view showing another modifled form of the collar support.

Collar supports of the general class to which the present device relates have all been of such I ing and reinforcing only the front portions of With these general objects in view the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating suitable embodiments or forms of construction for the purpose of practicing the invention, after which those features and combinations deemed to be novel and patentable will be particularly set forth and claimed.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the collar portion of a shirt with the improved device in initial position or ready to be inserted into supporting position;

Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating an intermediate position in the operation of inserting said support within the collar;

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the device completely inserted or in operative supporting position with the collar;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the improved device, on an enlarged scale;

Figure 5' is a similar view showing a modified form of the device:

the collar, i. e.-, forward of its curved side portionssuch curved sides of the collar receiving very little, if any, support, and the supporting device (particularly if of the single-support type), depending upon its position within the front collar portions to retain it in its supporting position between the collar folds.

The purpose of the present invention, therefore, is to provides. support in which the supporting or reinforcing function is extended throughout said curved side portions of the collar, and in which the device is firmly gripped and held in place by said curved side portions; and moreover, a device which, in the operation of inserting it, will also act automatically to contract the collar and draw the front collar portions into proper relation corresponding to the finished state of the garment.

Referring to the drawing, the improved device is shown as comprising a hand or supporting strip 8 of suitable flexible, yet relatively stiff material, such as cardboard or the like, and of a length coextensive with more than two-thirds of the length of the collar neckband; the length of the band is thus sumcient to extend around the front portions of the collar i0 (between the inner and outer folds ii and I2 thereof) and also past the curved side portions and into the rear portion of the collar, as clearly illustrated in Figure 3. As the collar l0 assumes an approximately upright position with relation to the shirt H as the latter lies flat upon the ironing board, but with the front of the collar sloping 2 accuses relation to the finished collar. when inserted therein as above described. Moreoventhe upper converging edges ll of the band or strip also serve automatically to contrast the collar'for the purpose of drawing the upper front corners IQ of the collar together, in the operation of inserting the device with the collar. as will be seen by a comparison of Figures 1 and 2.

The method of inserting the device within the shirt collar is illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 8. The operator places the band upon the shirt front beneath the tips or points of the collar as shown in Figure 1, and then thrusts the band up beneath the collar points and as far up imide the front collar portions as it will so, which results in bringing the front corners I. together, due to the action of the converg ng edges ll of the band in contracting the collar, and also puts the front of the collar in Just that condition to facilitate the insertion of the ends of the band I. Accordingly the next step is simply to bring both ends of the band up within the collar, simultaneously. between the inner and outer folds I I, I2, as represented in Figure 3, which is easily accomplished by the operator using both hands for engaging both ends of the device and also the rear side portions of the collar.

There is thus produced the combined operation of closing up the front corners ll of the collar, and inserting a reinforcement between the collar folds which extends entirely around both the side curved portions of the collar for proper reinforcement of the same; and in its operative or supporting position the band is also firmly gripped or clamped by these curved portions at the sides of the collar in such a way that there is no possibility of the device working out of position, but

the .device can only be removed by a deliberate act for that purpose. Moreover, the device serves to hold the front ends of the collar together 'as shown in Figure 3 without any buttoning means at the front of the collar.

To understand one of the important advantages of the improved support, it is pointed out that it is customary in shirt finishing operations to use a collar forming device which includes a heated form member placed inside the collar, and the heat being for the purpose of softening the st-arched portions of the collar to make them flexible enough to shape them to the form; and as this has a tendency to stretch the neck fold of the collar it also tends to close up the tie or cravat space between the collar folds, including that space between the curved side portions of the collar. The use of the present device (which is placed in position before the use of the collarforming device), not only operates to prevent closing up the tie space in the front portions of the collar but, being long enough to extend past the side curved portions of the collar, it also prevents the closing up of the tie space between those curved portions so as to preserve ample space for the slipping of the tie or cravat all around the collar as required for manipulating the same by the wearer.

Besides remaining in place up until the time of use of the shirt, and requiring no buttoning of the collar at any time, an important function It is of course unnecessary to make the device of a specified length for each size of collar, but only in a limited number of sizes each having a certain range of use covering a given number of collar sizes.

The modification illustrated in Figure 5 comprises a band or strip 8' in which is conveniently incorporated certain feature'sof the character illustrated in my Patent No; 2,149,192 dated Feb. 28, 1939, said features being the tab elements 20 formed between the two high points or shoulders 2i, designed to function in the same manner as explained in said patent, viz, to clamp or grip the upper front corners of the collar and thereby hold the inner edges of the seam portions 22 of the front collar edges in engagement with said points or shoulders 2|. Besides this, the tab elements 20 add a finished appearance, in the use of the device, as illustrated in Figure 6, and affords space for a trade-mark or advertising, if desired.

As represented in Figures 5 and '7, the upper end corners of the band or strip 8 may be suitably rounded off, as indicated at 24.

Figure 7 illustrates another modified form of band or strip 8" in which the feature of the high points or shoulders 2| is retained, but the tab elements are omitted from the space between said shoulders-the use or operation'of the device being otherwise the same as has already been described.

It will thus be apparent that I have devised a construction which is adapted to fulfill all the desired objects of the invention, and while I have shown and described suitable and practical forms thereof, I expressly reserve the right to make whatever changes or modifications may be deemed to fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A collar support for collar-attached shirts, comprising a single strip of flexible and relatively stiif material insertable between the folds of the collar and extending across the meeting ends at the front of the collar and also entirely around the side curved portions thereof and terminating within the rear portion of the collar.

2. A collar support for collar-attached shirts comprising a single strip of flexible and relatively stiff material for insertion between the folds ofthe collar and across the front meeting ends thereof and being coextensive with more than two-thirds of the length of the neckband of the collar for terminating within the rear portion of the collar at points substantially to the rear of the maximum width of the collar.

JAMES WrSTEELE.

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